Michael Fox on His Journey in the Law, Google and Finding Balance as the Head of a Global Startup

Michael Fox is an ex-lawyer, Googler and entrepreneur who broke the mould, founded his own business and created a successful career. Michael is an old friend of ours and an extremely bright guy, so we were very excited to finally get him on the Beyond Billables podcast.

One of the founders of Shoes of Prey - a startup that allows you to design your own bespoke women's fashion shoes - Michael is responsible for business operations. Prior to his entrepreneurial venture, Michael worked at Google managing the online sales and the operations team across Australia and New Zealand. In our wide-ranging conversation, we traced the trajectory of his career, touching on his motivations to become a lawyer, why he ultimately quit, the genesis of his startup and how he's dealt with challenges along the way.

Listen to the full episode to hear all this, plus things like:

What Michael's early side businesses taught him

How Seth Godin inspired Michael and a few friends to start their own business

How Google reacted to the global financial crisis

Michael’s journey from lawyer to Google salesman to entrepreneur

Why Shoes of Prey moved their headquarters to Los Angeles

How being slightly naive in the retail business had unseen advantages

How Michael has dealt with personal challenges along the way

How a self-powered commute can be an incredible boost in happiness levels